


Don't Let Me Know

by Minimetoo



Category: My Time At Portia (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2020-01-01 12:54:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18334823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minimetoo/pseuds/Minimetoo
Summary: Bluejay moved from the city to Portia and is warmly welcomed to town. The leader of the Civil Corps catches her eye and romance blossoms.





	1. Portia

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time posting my writing in a very, very long time. I'm talking like. Since 2012. Feel free to comment, I need the criticism. I started playing My Time at Portia, fell in love with Arlo's character, and here we are. Enjoy ;o

It was just like every other day when the news came. It wasn’t raining. There wasn’t some worrying feeling that lingered overhead. It was just a normal work day during her lunch when she got the message.

_Morning, Jay. Your father passed away this morning._

_Oh._ That was the only response that she could think of.

Oh. He was alive yesterday, doing whatever the hell he did on the other side of the world, and now he was dead. It wasn’t a big deal to her. Not really. Someone could’ve told her it was going to rain tomorrow and she would’ve had the same response. It wasn’t until she received a letter from her late father months later that she started to take an interest in his life.

Portia. It was a quaint town that she’s never even heard of before she read about it in the letter. Jay knew her father moved away to follow his dream of becoming a master builder after he split with her mom, but she never knew where he disappeared to until now.

In Portia, her father had a home, a workshop that he lived and built in, and in his will, she inherited it all as his only heir. There was nothing in the city for her. So she left. Jay packed her things, quit her job, and bought a ticket to Portia.

It was starting to grow dark when she arrived. The boat ride was shaky and left her feeling sick. An older, lanky man named Presley greeted her as soon as she got on dry land.

“Hello! You must be Bluejay. My name is Presley. Your father and I were very good friends.”

“Just Jay is fine.” Bluejay. Leave it to her eccentric father to give her a name like that. Presley spoke a bit about her father and a lot about the legacy he left behind. And finally, she was shown the workshop. It hadn’t seen any love for years and it showed. Jay was going to have to sleep there tonight. If she had any money left on her, she would’ve asked to stay at a motel or something, but she didn’t have a choice tonight. She slept in the drafty workshop after Presley left her with her father’s old journal and a request to meet him at the Commerce Guild with an axe and a pickaxe in hand.

After sleeping off the motion sickness from the boat ride, Jay spent her morning reading through her dad’s journal to find out how the hell she was supposed to turn stone and wood into tools that she could use. His notes were scrawled quickly like thoughts that barely spilled onto the page in time, and the way he wrote, the way he talked to himself, it helped Jay get to know her father a little better. The tools got made by the afternoon, and though it wasn’t the best work, she was proud of it.

“Not too bad. Looks like you are your father’s daughter!” Presley commented when Jay came in later in the afternoon. They both shared a smile for a second before Presley’s smile dropped.

“I’m sorry, young Jay, but even if we finish the paperwork today, there are no commissions left for you to pick up. Today is Friday, so you’ll have to wait until Monday to come in for a commission.” He admitted with an empathetic smile, but Jay just put her tools away on her belt and shook her head.

“Maybe it’s better that way. I need to get my workshop patched up.” Learning how to build was also on her list of things to do. Jay went through the process with Presley, met the mayor and worked with him, and then came back to the commerce guild with a builder’s license.

It was official. BlueJay’s Workshop was open for business. But again Presley reminded Jay that she would have to wait until Monday to have any work. She brushed away his apologies and told him that she’d come back Monday, and she was just about to leave through the double doors of the commerce guild when they suddenly flew open, nearly knocking her on her ass.

“Yo, Pres–“ A voice started to say, but it was cut short when its owner crashed right into Jay.

All the paperwork Jay had kept so neatly together hit the ground, scattering over the shiny tiles every which way. She was much smaller than the figure she bumped into, and though she should’ve fallen back, she was caught in a firm hold and steadied. Her breath caught in her throat and she looked up wide-eyed to see stunning blue eyes staring back at her.

“I am so sorry–“ They both started to say, and after a moment of just staring at each other point-blank like a couple of idiots, the man holding onto Jay quickly let her go and bent down to hurriedly pick up the papers that had fallen. Jay dropped down too, picking up a few of the stragglers. They both straightened at the same time and looked at each other again, this time without so much urgency.

The man was probably in his mid-twenties with bright red hair, a beard that trailed along his jaw but broke before it reached his chin, and these striking blue eyes. He was tall, much taller than Jay, and he was wearing a uniform paired with a blue bandana that was wrapped around his neck.

Next to him, Jay felt small and suddenly very aware that she was in a faded shirt, torn jeans, and her hair pulled up in a quick, messy bun. She wasn’t dressed to be meeting new people, especially not some tall, handsome dude–she was dressed for work.

“Arlo, hello!” Presley walked over to them, smiling politely as he motioned between the both of them as they were addressed. “This is our new resident builder, Jay. Jay, this is Arlo, the leader of the Civil Corps.”

“Hi.” Jay meekly responded, and Arlo's lips turned up in a small smile.

“Hello. I’m sorry about bumping into you. Didn’t think anyone else would be here.” Arlo turned his attention to Presley once the apology was out and reached into his pocket to pull out the commission he had just picked up from the mayors office. “Mayor wanted me to bring this over right away. It’s a commission to build a bring to Amber Island. He thinks it’ll be a great tourist spot.”

Presley instantly lit up when he heard the news. “Fantastic! Jay here will get started on it right away, won’t you, Jay?”

What? Jay looked between the two of them and responded belatedly, “Yes, of course.”

With a look of surprise, Arlo's gaze flickered to Jay, but his expression mellowed just as soon as their gazes met. Jay almost expected him to challenge her being the one to accept this commission. She might've preferred if he did, actually. Building a bridge sounded like a big project for someone who just held an axe for the first time today. But he didn't protest, and he didn't waste a moment in turning towards the door.

"Very well. Good luck, builder. See you around, Pres." Arlo lifted his gloved hand in a wave and left the commerce guild, leaving Jay to stand there shell-shocked.

What just happened?

 

* * *

 

Building wasn't so hard when Jay had such good instructions written out for her. Her dad was never around, but he did do her a service by leaving this journal behind. She spent most of the day chopping wood and getting her workshop patched up before she really started building. It was an empty little place with just two windows, a shabby kitchen, a restroom, and worn out boards on the floor and walls. Her hands weren't used to this kind of work, but she didn't see giving up as an option. Maybe she really was a natural like Presley said because, just a few hours after she woke up, she already patched up the holes that needed fixing. Not only was there no longer a draft in the workshop, but it looked nice too. Just a little more work, a little more love, and it would be home.

Jay was feeling over one of the new, smooth boards in her wall when she heard a knock at her door. She lifted her head up and turned away from her work to go see who it is.  
  
It was Emily. The farm girl greeted her with a hug when Jay introduced herself as the new builder and held out a hand for her to shake. Jay didn't hesitate too long before hugging her back with a nervous laugh. "Hello to you too." Jay had on a smile when Emily put her at arms length and admired her.  
  
"You must be Daniel's kid. I'm Emily, your neighbor. I run the ranch across the way with my grandma Sophie." Emily squeezed Jay's shoulders and Jay meekly smiled back at her. Emily took a hint and let her go, clearing her throat and grinning afterwards. "Was I interrupting something?"  
  
"Nice to meet you, Emily. I just finished up some work." Jay motioned to the hammer, nails, and other tools she had laying about. Emily looked across her and "oo"ed at the work she did.  
  
"This place is looking much homier with a girl living here. It'd look even homier with some curtains, a couch, a coffee table..." Emily lifted her hands up, making a double L with her pointers and thumbs as she looked around her hands through the room. It was a small place, but Emily was right. Jay did want to make this place homey. Right now, it was just a shed with a kitchenette and a tiny bathroom. Enough for it to be livable, but nowhere near comfortable.  
  
"A rug here, a plant there, a dog to tie it all together." Jay continued for Emily and smiled when the farm girl nodded along in agreement.  
  
"It wouldn't take much to make this your home. I have another suggestion. Come to the Round Table tonight. A lot of townsfolk come hang around in the evening. There's food, drinks, games, and good company. It'll be a good way to meet people around town!" Emily beamed and Jay lifted a hand, rubbing at the back of her neck as she thought. She had a lot to do. She had a bridge to build. One night out wouldn't hurt.  
  
"Okay. You've convinced me." Jay sounded exasperated, but the smile on her lips gave her away. Emily clapped her hands together in excitement.  
  
"I'll come by at seven to pick you up! Be ready!"  
  
Jay wasn't ready. She worked for the rest of the day and as it got closer to seven, she started getting cold feet. Literally. It was cold when the night fell and even with the holes in the workshop boarded up, she couldn't find a warm place to sit, and she didn't trust herself with lighting a fire without a proper fireplace. A shower helped because thankfully there was warm water in this tiny workshop, but after that warm shower, she was left shivering and with her damp hair pinned back in a ponytail. Jay got on everything she could to stay warm. A forest green sweater, some mitts, a matching scarf, and a pant of warm, dark pants. She was cold, but she was close to ready when Emily showed up at her doorstep.  
  
"I did say seven, right?"  
  
"Shut up! I'm almost ready." Jay mumbled, making Emily chuckle as she watched her hop around to try and get into her boots.  
  
The walk to town was quiet and dark. There weren't any streetlights and Jay found herself feeling grateful for Emily's company. She wouldn't want to walk alone in the dark in the city, and that instinct still lingered in her even if she was far away from the city's dangers. They walked along the dirt road, sharing stories about one another and talking about Portia.  
  
"Merlin and Petra work at the research center. They're both really smart, it's hard to follow along with what they're saying sometimes. And Alice is a sweetheart! She runs the flower shop and she knows everything about plants. Oh, and there's Django, he's in charge of the Round Table. You'll definitely meet him tonight!" They walked into town together and went towards the little restaurant close by. From outside, Jay could hear the crowd of people talking and laughing. Emily opened the door and they stepped inside, greeted with warmth and the smell of food. At first, Jay thought she would be overwhelmed, but she instantly felt comfortable in the cozy restaurant. It was certainly inviting.  
  
There was Albert, Sonia, Mars, Martha, Tody, all of them chatting in a big circle in the dining area. Emily pushed Jay along towards the group and presented her like she was her best show dog. "Hello, everyone! This is Jay, she's new in town!" She greeted, and the crowd said their unanimous "hello"s to the new builder in town. Jay waved back to them, smiling politely as she was stared at by everyone in the restaurant. Even the group towards the back of the restaurant looked over. That's when Jay noticed that man from before. Arlo. He was playing darts with two others, a girl and a guy, but his attention was drawn to her with all the commotion. Just as quickly as their gazes met though, Arlo turned away, going back to his game and flinging a dart towards the spinning dartboard.  
  
Jay's smile faltered a little before she looked back to the group, introducing herself to them more personally before she sauntered off to the bar with Emily. So far, she was her only friend, so she was sticking by her like glue. They talked with Django, laughing and telling each other jokes while they shared some sodas. Throughout the night, Jay tossed glances towards the group that Emily called the Civil Corps, and she could've sworn she felt someone looking back at her when she wasn't looking. It was a fun night, and eventually the crowd started to thin. It was then that Arlo came up to the bar, first closing his check with Django before he turned to Emily and Jay.  
  
"Good evening, Emily, Jay." Arlo greeted, the corners of his lips turning up a little before falling again. "I'm sorry again for bumping into you this morning, Jay. It was reckless of me to come barging in the way I did."  
  


Jay raised her brows, then softened, a smile spreading across her lips as she shook her head. "It's okay, really. You don't need to apologize."  
  
Emily looked between the two of them, biting her lip to keep her smile at bay. Jay almost wanted to punch her arm. There was a moment of silence before Arlo stood up straight, giving the two of them a smile. "Alrighty then. Good night, girls. Have a safe walk home." With that, Arlo turned and walked out of the restaurant to meet with his friends. Again, Jay was left to stand there watching him walk away.


	2. Go Fish

Since Jay was such a natural builder, she thought she’d take a shot at farming to see if she would unearth some naturally gifted talent again. Emily planted the idea in her head. But that idea wasn’t bearing fruit.

Jay was a builder, not a green thumb. She built a nice planter and filled it with soil, but it was day three and the wheat seeds still laid dormant under the soil. These were supposed to grow incredibly fast. So why was it taking so long?

Wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her arm, Jay decided to take off her gloves and give up on farming for now. It was supposed to be a nice distraction, not another added stress. So she jumped from planting to building in a heartbeat.

“Good morning, Jay.”

Jay nearly dropped the hammer down on her own hand when she heard the voice so close to her. She looked up and saw Arlo leaning against the fence right behind her work table. How had she not noticed him come up?

Arlo stood there in his uniform, expression as indifferent as always as he watched her work. His eyes were fixed on her hands for a moment before they raised up to meet her gaze with a small smile.

“Good morning.” Jay sighed out, giving a smile of her own as she lowered her hammer onto the work table before she could hurt herself. “I didn’t notice you there.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to spook you. You seemed pretty into your work.” Arlo cocked his head to the side in some adorable way that made Jay sharply inhale. That was hardly fair. “I just came by to see how you were faring. Well, I hope.”

“Just fine.” Jay caught herself staring at him a little too long. He didn’t seem bothered. That, or he didn’t notice. “Thanks for checking in.”

Arlo gave a simple nod in response before he pushed himself off the fence and turned his head to look out into the field behind the house. There were colorful lhamas grazing lazily on the grass. The long grass swayed like ocean waves over the field with every cool breeze that blew by. That same breeze brushed past the two of them, and for a moment they stood in silence. Arlo turned back to Jay and she stared back at him, admiring the way the wind played with his fiery hair. Jay was the first one to break the silence.

“I should get back to work.” She brushed off some sawdust from her work table, just trying to keep her hands and her mind busy so she wouldn’t get caught staring again. Did she have a crush on the Civil Corps leader?

“I should do the same. It was nice seeing you, Jay. I’ll see you around.” He held up a hand in a short wave and turned, heading down the dirt path back to town.

She did. Jay had a crush on the Civil Corps leader.

 

* * *

 

There was nothing that Jay planned on doing about that bit of information. She was always independent and having a significant other was always so suffocating. It was possible that this wasn’t really a crush. Arlo was good-looking, tall, strong, and she liked his standoffish demeanor. He was so serious and unimpressed with everything around him, and it made Jay want to get to know him even more.

  
Jay didn’t bother thinking too much into her liking towards the Civil Corps’ captain. She spent the rest of her afternoon working. That is, until two gentlemen showed up in front of her workshop, the more wiry one out of the two clearing his throat. Jay was in the middle of assembling her saw when she noticed them coming into her yard since she hadn’t paid them any attention. Quickly she sat up, frowning despite her attempts to seem friendly. Did people normally just walk into people’s yards here?

“Can I help you?” She asked as she stood up and lowered the circle blade of the saw to rest it on the assembly station’s flat boards.

“How do, new citizen! I'm Agent T, and this is my partner, Agent H. We are a part of the Free Cities' Debt Collection Agency. It has come to our attention that you are the offspring of Daniel Wright, the former owner of this workshop. Is that correct?” The little man piped up as the other one, Agent H, crossed his arms over his chest.

“Don’t know him.” Jay sat back down on her stool and turned back to her work. “You’ve got the wrong workshop.”

“Nice try, but we know who you are.” Agent T smiled a smile that Jay could only describe as ratlike. “Your father accrued fifty-thousand gols in debt from his business. Since we aren’t able to locate him, the debt has fallen onto you as his closest kin.”

Well, there was a reason they couldn’t find her father. He was six feet in the ground, probably. Or maybe he was cremated. Jay never did find out what happened, she just knew that he passed away. And that he was apparently a big spender. “I don’t have that kind of money. Like I said, you should try someone else.”

“Listen.” Agent T lowered his voice and stepped a little too close to Jay, Agent H following close behind. “We aren’t messing around. You have one week to come up with the gols. If you don’t pay up, we’ll be taking your home as collateral. If you try to run, we’ll report you to the Civil Corps.”

Jay would’ve been more worried about two strange men being on her property if she hadn’t been holding a saw blade with her. Still, they made her uncomfortable, and she wanted them gone. Sensing her discomfort, the agents both looked at each other and smirked before turning to face Jay again.

“That’s all. You have a good day now. Come on, Agent H. Let’s go.” Agent T turned on his heel and walked out of her yard and onto the road out of town. Agent H lingered for a moment, looking Jay up and down, and snorted when he got a good enough look at her. He left after his compatriot, leaving Jay to sit there with a bad taste in her mouth.

This workshop did not look like it had fifty-thousand gols put into it.

That evening, when Emily was passing by on her way to town, Jay stopped her and called her inside her workshop. The two sat together on her old, cozy couch that Jay had found while exploring the abandoned ruins. It was squeaky clean now and also a little squeaky since it was old and the springs were starting to give out. The two girls sat together with mugs of tea as Jay told her story from earlier today.

“Sounds like Tuss and Huss to me.” Emily mumbled over her mug, gently blowing at the surface of the pale pink liquid.

“Am I supposed to know who they are?”

“They’re these two low-lifes that are always getting into trouble. They won’t actually do anything. They think they’re these perfect partners in crime but really, they’re just some dumb boys that never really grew up.” Emily sipped at her tea and, after deciding it was too hot for her taste, she set it down on the recently-made coffee table in front of them. It was good, but it needed time to cool down. Jay also set down her mug after giving a few test sips. “Go to the Civil Corps. They’ll help you out.”

A trip to see Arlo. She still hasn’t gone into town to socialize. The only time she got to really talk to him was when he came over to check in on her. Jay was distracted with her thoughts, but she came back to reality when Emily bumped her with her elbow.

“Don’t worry so much, Jay. BJ’s Workshop isn’t going anywhere.”

“Please don’t call it that.”

 

* * *

 

“Huss and Tuss? Really?” Arlo pressed his lips together, then burst out in a grin as a chuckle left him. “Wow. That’s pretty clever of them. You said they gave you a week, right? I’ll be there as well.”

The week flew by. Jay hadn’t gone into town much that entire time. She busied herself with ruin diving, putting together tools, and collecting materials. The land around her workshop was barren of all bushes and small trees. The colorful creatures that hung around her property were left with nowhere to hide from the sun anymore since Jay took down all the bushes during her gathering, so they were right next to her fence, using a large tree for shade. At first, their bays had bothered her while she worked, but Jay quickly figured out that they were pretty good alarms to let her know when someone was close by.

She never thought she’d have guard lhamas.

It was exactly a week after the agents from the collection agency gave their threats. The early afternoon sun kept Jay inside. She spent her time drawing up blueprints for that bridge she was supposed to be building. It was a relaxing day. There were birds chirping outside. She left a pitcher of tea out to let it brew naturally in the sun. It felt more like summer than spring even if there was still another two weeks left in the season. There was relative calm and silence as Jay sat and sketched out her plans. And then the lhamas started to collectively groan. Someone was here. Soon after their cries, Jay heard the gate squeak open, then there was a knock at her door. That must be them.

Jay got up from her kitchen table, abandoning her work to begrudgingly go to the door again. Should she have brought a tool inside with her? She needed something to defend herself against those creeps. For a moment she thought about grabbing a knife or something, but before she could start tiptoeing to her way into the kitchen, she heard a familiar voice on the other side of the door.

“It’s Arlo. From the Civil Corps?”

Like he needed to introduce himself. Jay physically relaxed and reached for the door knob, opening up the door so she could see the tall man standing there wearing a small smile and a satchel hung over his shoulder. He was in his uniform again with that bandana around his neck and fingerless gloves on his hands.

“Hey, Arlo. You here to chase off some bad guys?” Jay tried, and Arlo let out a low, short laugh before adjusting the bag on his shoulder a bit better.

“That’s what I do. Fight crime and beat up bad guys.” Arlo’s lips lifted into a more sincere smile. “Mind if I come in? I don’t want to miss Tuss and Huss, so I thought I’d stay here until they came, if that’s okay.”

Jay’s heart fluttered in her chest. He wanted to stay here and hang out with her. It hardly seemed like something Arlo should waste his time doing, but Jay wasn’t going to turn him away. She was excited for the chance to get to know this stoic gentleman a little better. So she stepped back and opened the door wide, giving a wave towards her humble abode. “Of course. Please, come in. Make yourself comfortable.”

“Thank you.” Arlo gave her one more smile before his expression settled into its usual apathy. His eyes gave him away though. He looked around her place as he stepped inside, taking in the little decorations she’s managed to string together. There were potted plants along the windowsill, a nice new shag rug, some trinkets sitting around that looked like they were lovingly put together after being found in pieces in the ruins. It was a little girly. But it was nice. Arlo seemed to be impressed, which was a lot to say about someone like Arlo.

“This place used to be abandoned. You’ve really started to make it look like a home.” Arlo removed the bag from over his shoulder and walked to her kitchen table where Jay’s plans were laid out. He hung his satchel on a chair then turned back to Jay. “Good job. It’s nice to see you’re settling in nicely.”

“Thanks. It’s starting to feel homey.” Jay closed the door behind her and took a few steps forward to him. “Can I get you some tea?”

“I would love some tea. No sugar, please.”

While Jay went outside to bring in the covered pitcher of tea, Arlo made himself comfortable on her faded pink couch after pulling out a deck of cards from his bag. “To pass the time.” He explained when Jay asked him.

With the sun tea poured out into tall, mismatched glasses on the coffee table, the two of them sat on the couch. Arlo spent a moment casually shuffling the cards around and, once he was satisfied, he started laying out some cards on the table. “You ever played go fish?”

“Go fish?” Jay parroted as she turned herself to face him on the couch. “I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s easy. I’ll teach you.”

It didn’t take long for Jay to pick up on the rules of the game. For a while, they sat in relative silence, trading cards and playing the game. The talk started to drift away from cards as time went on though. Jay was the first one to say something not game-related.

“How long have you been part of the Civil Corps?” She asked, lifting her green eyes to meet his gaze. “Also, do you have any fours?”

“Since I was sixteen. Almost nine years now. I became the leader when I was only eighteen years old.” Arlo picked up a card from the deck and handed it to Jay. “Go fish.”

Jay begrudgingly took the card and added it to her hand. “That’s a lot of your life put into the force.”

“Got any threes?”

“Go fish.”

“I’m happy with what I do. But what I want more than anything is to join the Flying Pigs.” Arlo picked up a card for himself, then smiled and set down his set of threes. Damn. Was it possible to be good at go fish?

“The Flying Pigs? In Lucien?” Jay watched him put down the cards, frowning, but she couldn’t keep herself from smiling at his smile. “That’s a grandiose goal. Lucien is pretty far from Portia though. Do you have any queens?”

“Thanks. Yes, it’s far, but I’ve wanted to join since I was a boy.” Arlo handed her two queens and lowered his cards, his attention drifting away from the game and focusing in on their conversation. It was a shame. He was winning too.

“Color me impressed. It’s nice to have goals.” Jay took her queens and set them in a pile next to her cards. She almost admitted that she’s never had any goals. She worked as a bookkeeper since she got out of school and there wasn’t much climbing to be done at the company she worked for. “Any twos?” He did have to give up a card, but he didn’t look too distraught.

“What do you want to do, Jay?” There was sincerity in his low voice that made Jay stop, her cards lowering down as well.

She didn’t know how to respond at first. The universe had perfect timing though. There was the sound of colorful lhamas, then a moment later, there were a few rampant knocks on the door that made them both look up, Jay’s eyes flashing with uncertainty as Arlo’s expression grew serious. Well, more serious than normal.

“That must be them. Stay here.” Arlo ordered. He put his cards faced-down on the coffee table and stood up to go to the door. Swinging the door wide open, Arlo leaned against the doorsill, his arms crossed as he smiled dangerously at the two men standing there. “Tuss and Huss. It’s been a while.”

The two men paled. Tuss looked back at his brother, then turned back to Arlo with a nervous laugh. “H-hello, Arlo! We were just--Run!”

The brothers went off running in a heartbeat. Arlo sighed heavily, then turned back to Jay, smiling halfheartedly. “I’ll be back.” He gave a wave and, after closing the door behind him, he took off running after the two hooligans.

Jay stared at the closed door for a few moments, listening to the lhamas bay again as the duo and the captain went running by. She took in a breath, exhaled, then, out of curiosity, she flipped over his deck to see that he had a full set of kings and no other cards. He should’ve won already. How long had he been holding a winning hand?


End file.
